Apparatus for reducing vibration transmission in hand-held tool

ABSTRACT

An air-operated percussive tool incorporates apparatus for reducing vibration transmission from a working end portion (1) to a hand grip (2), thereby to reduce vibration transmission to the hand/arm of the user. The apparatus includes a male frustoconical portion (3) whose tip is located facing a female bed (4) with the base of the frustoconical part attached to the handle grip (2) while the bed (4) is attached to the working end portion (1). Three rubber balls (5) are trapped between the portion (3) and bed (4) and the balls (5) are located in their mean positions under compression. Oscillatory movement of the female bed parallel to the longitudinal access of the frustocone causes the balls to roll on the male and female surfaces and effectively provide a rising spring rate or stiffness. Apparatus is also disclosed for reducing vibration transmissions from the working portion to a casing (12) of the tool.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a 371 of International Application PCT/US92/10871, filed Dec. 15, 1992 and designating the United States and other countries. The application PCT/US92/10871 in turn is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 07/899,522, filed Jun. 16, 1992, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,213,167, issued May 25, 1993.

Applicants under 35 USC §120 and 35 USC §365 claim the benefit of the above earlier applications as to common subject matter.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to an apparatus for reducing vibration transmission in a hand-held tool and more particularly relates to apparatus for reducing vibration transmission from a working portion of a hand-held tool to the user of the tool.

Previous attempts to reduce hand/arm vibration in a percussive tool have generally centered around either the isolation of the operator's grip by means of sprung handles or by employing a means of curing power to the tool as the operator force increases.

One limitation of the springs-solution is that a damper is required as well as the spring in order to obtain the optimum effect. Also, the mass of the sprung handles is relatively small compared with the mass of the tool and, since a coil spring usually functions linearly, high deflections are experienced. As a result, the option to reduce the power to help achieve the desired effect has been investigated. Power regulation of the tool has obvious disadvantages to efficiency, in that it reduces the blow frequency and intensity.

The foregoing illustrates limitations known to exist in percussive tools. Thus, it is apparent that it would be advantageous to provide an alternative directed to overcoming one or more of the limitations set forth above. Accordingly, a suitable alternative is provided including features more fully disclosed hereinafter.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for reducing vibration transmission from a working tool portion of a hand-held tool to the user of the tool, the apparatus comprising a floating, resilient ball arrangement interposed between a handle portion of the tool and the working portion of the tool and second means for reducing vibration transmission from the working tool portion to a casing of the tool, said second means being located adjacent the working tool portion and between the casing and the working tool portion.

The tool may be a percussive tool, such as a chipper, digger, needle gun, scaler, hammer drill or a demolition tool.

The tool may be air operated. The tool could also be electrically operated.

Preferably, the resilient bah arrangement of the first means comprises balls, preferably three, which can be of rubber, located between a male part on one of the portions and a female part on the other of the portions.

The male part can be a substantially frustoconical part joined to the handle portion and the female pan can be a female bed joined to the working portion of the tool or vice versa, the bed facing the frustoconical portion with the balls lying compressed on the bed and the external surface of the frustocone.

Oscillatory movement of the female bed parallel to the longitudinal axis of the frustocone causes the balls to roll on the male and female surfaces.

The balls can be located by pins or the like.

In the case of an air-operated tool, at least one and preferably each ball may be provided with a bore through which air under pressure can be transmitted from the frustoconical portion to the female bed and then to the action of the working part of the tool.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for reducing vibration transmission from a working portion of a hand-held tool to a casing of the tool, the apparatus including a floating, resilient ball arrangement interposed between the casing and the working portion of the tool.

This resilient ball arrangement of the second means can be in the form of a set of balls in a ring around the internal periphery of the casing and around the outer periphery of part of the working portion of the tool, thereby separating and isolating the two portions.

The set of balls can be linked together.

The balls can be located within shells which are curved to urge the balls towards their mean positions.

The foregoing and other aspects will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawing figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of part of a hand-held percussive tool showing apparatus for reducing vibration transmission from a working portion thereof to the user thereof, the tool being illustrated at mid-stroke;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line II--II in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of part of the apparatus and showing a modification;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of another part of the tool showing apparatus for reducing vibration transmission from the working portion to a casing of the tool, this view also being illustrated at mid-stroke;

FIG. 5 is a section view taken on the line V--V in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view to part of FIG. 1 and showing a modification of that part; and

FIG. 7 is a view similar to part of FIG. 4 and showing a modification of that part.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring first to FIGS. 1 to 3, a D-handled air-operated percussive tool is illustrated which incorporates apparatus for reducing vibration transmission from a working end portion 1 to a hand grip 2, thereby to reduce vibration transmission to the hand/arm of the user. Such apparatus will be briefly referred to hereafter as the "vibration isolator".

The vibration isolator in the form illustrated comprises a male frustoconical portion 3 whose tip is located facing a female bed 4. The base of the frustoconical part is attached to the handle grip 2, while the bed 4 is attached to the working end portion 1 of the tool.

Three substantially spherical rubber balls 5 are trapped between the portion 3 and bed 4, which is preferably of scalloped form, the number of scallops corresponding to the number of bails and each scallop serving to receive and locate its ball. The apparatus as depicted in FIG. 1 is carrying a mean static load.

The balls are located in their mean positions under compression by means of nylon tubes 6A and 6B located in bores 7 of the balls 5, the tubes having portions protruding from the surfaces of the balls so that these protruding portions are located in corresponding bores 8A and 8B in the portion 3 and bed 4, respectively. The tubes 6A and 6B in each bore 7 are spaced apart to give sufficient clearance for compression and expansion movement of the ball 5 in which the bore is located. The tubes 6A, 6B may be nylon inserts which are glued, bonded or simply press fits.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3, the bores can form an integral part of the compressed air supply to the working end portion of the tool from an air supply conduit 9 in the handle grip 2, into a conduit 9A passing down the center of the tapered portion 3 and communicating with the bores 8A, 7, and 8B. The bores 8B lead on to a cycle valve illustrated generally at 10. Experiments have shown that for the operating range of the vibration isolator, the airways through the vibration isolator remain sufficiently consistent to allow the required air flow.

The portion 3 need not be pure frustoconical but can be given a gently curving taper and/or can incorporate an angular change in the direction of taper. The tubes 6A and 6B serve to locate the balls 5 on the taper, especially when the parts 1 and 2 are driven off-center.

In the case where the tool is only electrically-operated, then the tubes 6A, 6B (or pins) simply serve as locating means.

The modification shown in FIG. 3 takes the form of three radially-extending wings 11 on the portion 3 which run in slots 4A parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tool. These wings also act as anti-rotation means if the rotational stiffness of the balls is overcome, thereby acting as a travel limiter. Also, they act as a rebound stop or travel limiter in the axial direction.

In use, the percussive tool will oscillate at around ±0.16 inches (4 mm) at 25 Hz/sec. The acceleration levels experienced with the balls is very high and so the resilient material of the balls must be of a suitable hardness. The apparatus provides a high radial stiffness and a low (soft) axial stiffness with rising rate. In comparison, a normal coil spring would have a constant rate. The balls effectively provide a rising spring rate or stiffness. The rising rate can be varied by varying the degree of slope on the rolling surfaces.

The other end of the tool is diagrammatically illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, where a casing 12 is shown leading up to the handle end of the tool and obviously since the casing 12 is attached to the handle grip 2, it must not be allowed to short out the effect of the vibration isolator. Accordingly, another floating resilient ball arrangement 13 is provided between the working end portion 1 and the casing 12 in the region where the actual tool 14 is located. This effectively forms another vibration isolator but in this case the balls am not provided with locating pins but are linked to the ring of balls and are located in outer and inner shells 15, 16, respectively. The balls may be molded together or may be linked by other means.

In this case, the axial stiffness is intended to be lower, and with a constant rate, but the radial stiffness is intended to be higher than is the case with the vibrator isolator at the hand grip end of the tool. The shells 15 and 16 are curved to urge the bracelet of bails towards their mean positions. The balls are compressed and in this case, they have a shallow curve.

Such a construction at the end of the tool most adjacent the actual tool 14 reduces the required length in that location as compared with prior art bearings and it is resistant to ingress of foreign material. To assist in this, a circular floating seal 17 is provided between the tool 14 and the ball arrangement 13.

FIG. 6 shows a possible modification of the construction shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, in which the air line is not via the balls 5 but via a separate, flexible hose 18 is connected between the hand grip 2 and the reciprocating portion 1. There are still three balls 5, each located in its own scalloped portion on the bed 4.

As with the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the male portion 3 can be provided with planar or substantially planar faces.

The reciprocating portion 1 is guided by three toughened pins 19 extending from the hand grip 2 parallel to the axis of the tool, each pin running as a loose fit in its own hardened bush 20. This construction provides guiding and anti-rotation means for the portion 1.

FIG. 7 shows a possible modification of the construction shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, in which the bracelet of balls at the actual tool 14 end is replaced by a plain sliding beating. This comprises a bed of polymer fitted around the portion 1 and a part-spherical, radiussed beating tip 22 which can be hardened steel flash chromium plated. A slight clearance is provided to allow for "blow past", which provides self-cleaning and allows for expansion.

Another possibility, not illustrated, would be to provide a roller bearing running on flats on the portion 1 and provided with end stops. Yet another possibility would be to provide an air bearing. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A hand-held percussive tool having means for reducing vibration transmission from a working potion of the tool to the user;said tool comprising a working tool potion, a handle potion, and a casing which surrounds part of said handle potion and is radially displaced therefrom; said working tool potion and said handle potion including a male part associated with one of said potions and a female part associated with the other of said portions, said male part and said female part being in facing relationship and axially-spaced apart and at least said male part including a frustoconical surface; first means including a resilient ball arrangement comprising a plurality of non-contact resilient balls interposed between said handle portion and said working tool portion for reducing axial and radial vibration transmission from said working tool portion to said handle portion; and second means for reducing vibration transmission from the working tool portion to the casing, said second means being located adjacent the working tool portion and between the casing and the working tool portion.
 2. A tool according to claim 1, wherein said resilient ball arrangement comprises three balls located between said male part on one of the portions and said female part on the other of the portions.
 3. A tool according to claim 2, wherein the balls arc of rubber.
 4. A tool according to claim 2, wherein said male part is joined to said handle portion and the female part is a female bed joined to a working part coupled to the working tool portion.
 5. A tool according to claim 4, wherein at least one of the said balls is provided with a bore through which air under pressure can be transmitted from the frustoconical surface to the female bed and thence to said working part.
 6. A tool according to claim 2, wherein the balls are located by pins or the like,
 7. A tool according to claim 2 and further comprising means to limit relative rotation between said male and female parts.
 8. A tool according to claim 7, wherein said means to limit relative rotation comprises pins extending parallel to an axis of the tool.
 9. A tool according to claim 2, and further comprising means for acting as a rebound stop or travel limiter in an axial direction of relative movement of the male and female parts.
 10. A tool according to claim 1, wherein said second means includes a second, resilient ball arrangement.
 11. A tool according to claim 10, wherein said second resilient ball arrangement is in the form of a set of balls in a ring around an internal periphery of the casing and around the outer periphery of the working tool.
 12. A tool according to claim 11, wherein the balls in said set of balls are linked together.
 13. A tool according to claim 11, wherein the balls of the set of balls are located within shells which are curved to urge those balls towards their mean positions.
 14. A tool according to claim 1, wherein second means comprises a sliding bearing.
 15. A tool according to claim 14, wherein said sliding bearing comprises a bearing tip having a curved surface, running on a bearing bed.
 16. A tool according to claim 15, wherein said beating tip is of hardened steel and said bearing bed is of a polymer.
 17. A tool according claim 1 and being air operated.
 18. A tool according claim 1 and being electrically operated.
 19. A tool according to claim 1, wherein the part associated with said working tool portion has a center axis and a circumference and extends from said center axis to all points on said circumference.
 20. A tool according to claim 1, wherein the part associated with said working tool portion forms a rearward end of said working tool portion.
 21. A tool according to claim 1, wherein the first means provides a comparatively high radial stiffness and a comparatively low axial stiffness with a rising rate of stiffness, and wherein further the second means provides a low axial stiffness and a high radial stiffness.
 22. A tool according to claim 1, said tool further including a passageway for air under pressure extending through the handle portion and a flexible hose connected to said passageway and extending from the handle portion to the working tool portion.
 23. A tool according to claim 1, wherein the working portion is oscillatory. 